Edisi 25 Januari 2011 | International Bali Post

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Bali tourism develop rapidly

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PAGE 8 Masked Palestinian youths throws bottles filed with paint and stones towards Israeli border police in the flashpoint Arab east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, on 14 January 2011.

Hollywood’s newest Olsen makes Sundance debut PAGE 12

AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI

Leaks show Palestinians giving much ground to Israel Reuters

JERUSALEM – Palestinian negotiators secretly told Israel it could keep swathes of occupied East Jerusalem, according to leaked documents that show Palestinians offering much bigger peace concessions than previously revealed. The documents, obtained by the Al Jazeera television channel, could undermine the position of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose public declarations about Jerusalem are at odds with what his officials were promising in private.

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Equally sobering for the Palestinian people, who want to create a state on land Israel seized in a 1967 war, is the fact that Israel offered nothing in return for the con-

cessions and turned down their offer, saying it did not go far enough.

The leaked minutes of a 2008 meeting between Palestinian, U.S. and Israeli officials showed a se-

nior Palestinian proposing that Israel annex all but one of its major Jerusalem settlements as part of a broad deal to end their decades-old conflict.

Al Jazeera said Sunday it had other documents that it would publish shortly showing the Palestinians were also ready to make other massive concessions on the hugely sensitive issue of the right to return for Palestinian refugees. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat went on the defensive, dismissing the documents as “a bunch of lies” during an appearance on Al Jazeera shortly after they were released.

Continued on page 6

Iraq: Car bombs targeting Shiite pilgrims kill 18 Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD – Two car bombs struck Shiite pilgrims Monday in an Iraqi holy city, killing at least 18 people as crowds massed for religious rituals marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the Islamic sect’s most beloved saint.

The blasts in Karbala were the latest in nearly a week of attacks that have killed at least 159 people.

The uptick in violence has shattered a lengthy period of calm and raised anew concerns about the readiness of Iraqi forces to take over their own security ahead of a full withdrawal by the U.S. military.

The first attack occurred about 7 a.m. in a parking lot near busloads of pilgrims on the eastern outskirts of Karbala, 55 miles (90 kilometers) south of Baghdad.

Police and hospital officials said that six pilgrims were killed and 34 people wounded in that attack.

A second bomb was discovered nearby and dismantled before it could explode, police said. More than four hours later, a second car bomb struck pilgrims on the southern edge of the city, killing at least 12 people, including 10 pilgrims and two soldiers, and wounding 21, the officials said.

Continued on page 6

AP Photo/Hadi Mizban

Iraqis gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 24, 2011.

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International

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Bali News Within a day

Abrasion erodes Kubu

Vila and warehouse 6 graves swept away to the sea destroyed by fire Amlapura (Bali Post)—

Gianyar (Bali Post)—

Within one day on Sunday (Jan 23), a series of fire incidents occurred in Gianyar. A private villa owned by an Australian, Rodney Paris, 44, located at Masceti Beach area, Medahan Village, Blahbatuh Subdistrict, Gianyar, and a warehouse of handicraft products owned by Fa Siadja Handicrafts, in Tarukan Hamlet, Mas Village, Ubud, Gianyar, were on fire until exhausted. There were no casualties in both incidents, but only material loss amounting to billions.

In the villa property belonging to the Australian, the fire only left debris of the buildings. Allegedly, the fire occurred at 01:00 a.m. Local Time. At that time, Rodney’s wife, Antonitha Bunga, 43, from Sumba, together with five children and grandchildren was at home.

Meanwhile, her husband was being hospitalized in the Kasih Ibu Hospital, Denpasar, as suffering from malaria. While crying to see the house burnt out, the victim Antonitha told the tragic journey afflicting her house occupied since 2008. At that night, she was awakened by the cracking sound and the burning smell.

The victim got up and tried to find out the source of burning smell until she reached the kitchen. She saw smokes appearing from around the rice cooker. To prevent further dan-

ger, she put off all electric equipments including the rice cooker. However, the burning smell and smokes remained to come out. Having been checked, the smokes and burning smell were discernible and emanated from the guest room. The smokes went out from the television set. Shortly thereafter, the smokes and fire were getting bigger and bigger.

On seeing the incident, Antonitha was trying to wake up other dwellers being asleep in the bedroom. Ultimately, they came out of the house just to save themselves. Attempts of the victims in the dead of silent night were completely unable to extinguish the fire increasingly high and soaring into the sky. One of victim’s neighbors, Wayan Putra Jaya, who woke up and helped, was unable to do much. “The fire was big and breaking the glass and timber of the buildings,” he explained.

Fierce of the blaze eventually could be extinguished by the fire brigade of Gianyar Regency by employing six tanks of water. Antonitha mentioned that such incident happened instantly.

Only within ten minutes, the fire had reached the roof and completely scorched the house. Material loss caused by the incident was estimated to reach one billion.

Meanwhile, another fire incident occurred in a handicrafts exporter warehouse belonging to Fa Siadja at noon.

The warehouse suddenly exploded causing the entire contents of the barn on fire. A local employee, Girson Soleh, 24, who was inside the warehouse during the incident, said that before the fire enlarged, he heard the sound of small explosions. Shortly, the fire rapidly enlarged and filled in the whole room. He was almost trapped inside, but finally managed to escape. (kmb16)

Abrasion pounded the coastal region of Kubu subdistrict, Karangasem. A number of graves situated on the coastline were unable to escape from the scouring of sea water. A grave on the seaside of Tianyar Customary Village, right at the hamlet of Pilihan Darma Winangun, Kubu, Karangasem, was also eroded. As a result, no less than six tombs have been destroyed and vanished into the sea, while three corpses appeared and made local people excited. Meanwhile, the residents whose family member died and buried on the seaside was anxious if the tomb of their ancestors would disappear into the sea.

A community leader of Bukit Mangun, Kubu, Karangasem, I Gede Mangku Surata, Sunday (Jan 23) showed off them to reporters. The cemetery surrounded by wall compound had been eroded by the sea water since three years ago. As consequence, approximately 20 meters of the land disappeared. Even, today the public grave had been eroded.

Other than the six eroded tombs, three bodies wrapped in shroud were seen protruding. In order to rescue the bodies and to prevent them from being washed away by the waves, local residents and Mangku Surata immediately secured the location and re-buried them.

Mangku Surata hoped the government could help the residents in coping with the natural disasters of raging sea abrasion. By doing so, it would no more erode other graves. There were hundreds of tombs along the seaside road of Amlapura-Singaraja. They were

overgrown by bushes had now had been crushed by abrasion. “Aside from the six damaged and eroded tombs, three corpses wrapped in shroud also look to heave,” said Mangku Surata.

They were not just simple tombs, but also those embellished with a ceramic had been destroyed. Meanwhile, the waves continued to rage. Mangku Surata worried if not immediately addressed, more and more tombs would vanish and destroyed by the waves.

Last year, the grave in western Tianyar located by the beach was also eroded by the waves. At that time, a legislator, who is also the Head of the Commission II of Karangasem House, Nyoman Oka Antara, made a site inspection after receiving a report from the residents. At that time, together with journalists he visited the location that had been crushed and disappeared. A number of tombs had been in the sea or on the shore that had been eroded by waves. Oka Antara hoped before the government made an effort to resolve the problem as lacking of budget, local people should no more bury near the beach. “From now on, people should no more bury corpses closer to the beach. If land remains available, the burial should be made farther from the beach,” said Oka Antara from Kubu.

His party had attempted to struggle for an effort to secure the graves, especially those located on the beach that have been eroded or crushed by the abrasion. Unfortunately, up to these days it seemed there was no concern of the executive because it lacked of budget. (013)

Allegation of water distribution misuse in South Kuta Sanglah Hospital Forensic Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Commission C of the Badung House alleged a diversion on the clean water distribution of Municipal Waterworks (PDAM Badung) through PT Tirtaartha Buanamulia serving the area of South Kuta. The clean water distribution through tanker trucks intended for the public was suspected to have been directed to investors investing their capital in the region. Allegedly, it was triggered by the selling price of water to the businessmen was higher.

In the raid made by Commission C to PT TB, Kedonganan, Friday (Jan 21), a member of Commission C from Kedonganan, I Nyoman Sudarta, complained about the distribution of water through tanker trucks of PT TB considered inappropriate. He said the water from the tanks was used to serve the public, especially the household, but in reality it was sold to hotels and villas

as the selling price could be much higher. “People often complain that the crisis of clean water frequently occurred. Especially, when suspecting the distribution of water of PT TB was even more enjoyed by large businesses,” he said.

Likewise, Sudarta claimed to deplore such a condition. According to the politician of Functional Group Party, the need for clean water was a vital requirement for the people’s daily life. Moreover, there were many small communities that had not been served by the Municipality Waterworks through pipe connections. Fulfillment of clean water had become a desire of the community. “People are definitely vying for clean water because they do not want to drink well water intruded by saline water,” he said.

Distribution of clean water with the pursuit of profit only should not happen. The clean water providers in this case PT PDAM Badung, espe-

cially PT TB, should give priority to public service. Ideally, the entrepreneur should not struggle for water against the small community and be able to anticipate the needs of water such as by creating a clean water treatment system. For the reason, Sudarta urged the management of PT TB to investigate the allegation on diversion of water distribution.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT TB Gede Rai Mandia was unable to give response to this matter. He only confirmed if so far many people were lining up to take clean water from the tanks provided by his party. He added that truck tank served the people who had not subscribed the clean water to PDAM. The tank truck played a role in distributing the water to the community of the South Badung, chiefly in South Kuta. Mandia also promised to immediately check the alleged diversion of clean water distribution in South Kuta. (kmb25)

Department Handles 3,000 Corpses Denpasar (Bali Post) –

Besides treating living patients, Sanglah Hospital also handles those who have died which are usually brought to Forensic Department or Corpse Room of the Hospital’s. Not only those who died in Sanglah Hospital but also from outside it. For year 2010, the Forensic Department handled around 2734 corpses as stated by Head of Forensic Department Sanglah Hospital, dr. Dudut Rustyadi, SpF a while ago.

Dudut explained that mostly have died due to disease and others were from traffic accidents, work accidents, murder even suicide. From those who have died from accidents reached 367 people and mostly were from traffic accidents.

Dudut mentioned the Forensic Department seemed to be the center for corpse’s management from all directions of Denpasar even the whole Bali, “Ideally a corpse room is only for those who died in this Hospital only.”

For that, Dudut revealed that it is very important for a city to have a corpse center or city morque, “If there’s a city morque so those who died there will be taken care there.”

A city morque is very important as all this time if a corpse was found they always bring it to Sanglah Hospital this is making the capacity in Sanglah’s corpse room to be overloaded, “If there are city morque, then the corpse can be brought there instead and autopsied there too.” (san)

z Founder : K.Nadha, z General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti z Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Wirya, Yudi Winanto zDenpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subagiadnya, Subrata, Suentra, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Pujawan, Buleleng: Adnyana, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bali Putra Ariawan,Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan,. NTB: Agus Talino, Syamsudin Karim, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto. z Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi. z Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp. (0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

Bali News

International

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

3

Rabies Worries

VAR Supplies Limited in Klungkung Semarapura (Bali Post) –

IBP/Olo

The destroyed rice paddies in Jembrana Regency.

Farmers suffer great losses Due to destroyed crops Negara (Bali Post) –

The heavy rain and strong wind that has been hitting Jembrana lately have caused farmers disadvantaged. Not only with the pests coming around their paddies, but those which are ready to be harvested got victimized as well. Subak Baluk and Kaliakah farmers only could give up as hectares of their ready harvested paddies being dropped flat by the rains on Saturday (22/1) evening.

During supervision on Sunday (23/1) it can be seen almost all parts of paddy fields are flatten.

Its rice seedlings ready scattered everywhere and damaged. One of the Subak farmers, Nyoman Nana (60), stated the heavy rain and strong wind on Saturday evening have damaged it. Before that, there were a few damaged but now none survived no more, “I just knew it

when I was about to shoo the birds, from 70 hectares of it 50 hectares are flatten.” This condition clearly causing farmers like him felt disadvantaged as usually good paddies could be priced IDR 220 – 250 thousand per hundred square meters (are) now as its been dropping it only could be sold less than IDR 200 thousand per are, “If counted from the time we planted,

of course it’s causing loss. But what can we do.”

Ketut Narpa, Kaliakah Subak farmer, also mentioned the same.

Even though his dropping paddies can still be harvested, but the price will go down not as hoped. The production fee won’t be covered by the production result, “Many rice seeds were gone from its plant. This will decrease its price.” (kmb26)

Handling Water Crisis

Representatives Discuss Sea Waters for Municipal Waterworks Denpasar (Bali Post) –

The last few years, Denpasar has been haunted water crisis as water sources started to disappear. In managing this, Denpasar City House of Representatives (DPRD) started to discuss to use sea waters as clean water basic material for Municipal Waterworks (PDAM) Denpasar City. Of course, to do so it needs a number of processes first, Vice Head of DPRD Denpasar City A.A. Ngurah Bima Wikrama stated last Sunday (23/1).

According to Wikrama, a number of suggestions to solve this water crisis have been revealed by representatives’ members, “There are

many suggestions to handle this water crisis including the usage of sea waters and we will discuss it further.” He added this is one of the best solution to manage the situation in this city as moreover PDAM now has to drill and buy clean waters from other areas to fulfill the needs in this city, “There has to be a quick solution to get out of this situation.”

Wikrama added the technology in filtering sea waters have been used by several developed countries and Denpasar can adopt that method especially with sea waters are around it, “What needs to be think of is how to manage it.”

Moreover he asked Denpasar City

Government, PDAM and practitioners to find this solution further as this clean water is a vital essential need, “There are many complains on waters stopped flowing in several places. We are pushing connecting institutions to seriously go through the problems to manage this crisis.”

If Denpasar keeps on depending on water sources, there is a possibility the water crisis could get worse with the number of Denpasar population keeps increasing, automatically water need will increase, “Right now, all water sources usage have been maximized yet many residents are still having difficulties getting it.” (kmb13)

Klungkung Region, especially in Nusa Penida, right now is holding a serious status of being rabies positive area. Ironically, in the occurrence of being it their VAR (Anti Rabies Vaccination) is getting limited as it’s predicted to finish this February 2011. This was admitted by Head of Klungkung Health Agency IGN Agung Swastika when asked for confirmation last Sunday (23/1).

The rabies management in this region has been always helped by the province government and for that the agency will coordinate intensively with Bali Health Agency at least in prioritizing Klungkung Agency to get a VAR supplies or budget help, “So the limited VAR in Klungkung won’t disturb the rabies tackling where the shortage will be helped by province while waiting budget allocated through 2011 Klungkung Budget and Expenses (APBD).”

It is mentioned that in year 2011, Klungkung Health Agency suggested a budget of IDR 1,3 billion to tackle rabies.

Not only that, Swastika is uncertain of how much VAR vials

will be supplied with this much budget not yet with the money playing of some institutes in moving the budgets for some other programs.

Swastika also uncertain of how much VAR were left in Klungkung until February, “Truly, I can’t remember it certainly in numbers. Including how much is needed every day, I don’t know it specifically.”

Meanwhile with Nusa Penida being a serious rabies positive area, it is obligating Klungkung Hospital to be prepared especially in giving services for those coming from Nusa Penida or Klungkung land itself as a number of villages here are also positive rabies. “I have reminded all Klungkung Hospital components to be prepared,” dr. Ni Made Adi Swapatni, Head of the Hospital, mentioned a while ago.

It was said, the preparation done was because of the possibility to be receiving many patients. For that, Swapatni also admitted to have intensively communicated with Head of Animal Husbandry, Fishery and Sea (PPK) Agency for Klungkung, Gusti Ngurah Badiwangsa. (kmb20)

Environmental team of Buleleng makes a research On sea pollution in Lovina Singaraja (Bali Post)—

Officials of the laboratory team of Buleleng Environmental Agency, Sunday (Jan 23), came down in person to examine the sea water in the Lovina tourist resort contaminated by diesel fuel due to leaking pipe of the gas and coalfired power plant (PLTGU Pemaron). The study was conducted to determine the level of danger of pollution against the marine life and surrounding people.

Site inspection of the team of Buleleng Environmental Agency was delivered by a number of residents in the area of Hepi Beach, Tukad Mungga Village, Buleleng.

According to them, the team explored the coastline from the Tukad Mungga, beach of Pemaron Village, until the coastal region around the Segara Penimbangan Temple, Singaraja. The officer examined the sea water and plants around the coast.

Up to Sunday afternoon, it was unknown about the results of the research made by the team of Buleleng Environmental Agency.

The head of the agency, I Wayan Pasek Swastika, could not be contacted because his mobile phone was inactive. Additionally, the lo-

cal residents in the vicinity of the beach did not know about the results of that research.

Meanwhile, Putu Suarta, an officer of general affairs of the PLTGU Pemaron, when asked for his confirmation justified that officials of the Buleleng Environmental Agency had come down to do a research.

However, the results were not yet known. Obviously, he said, the diesel fuel polluting the sea water at the eastern edge of Lovina area had been resolved by oil dispersant. “Oil dispersant was sprayed onto the surface of sea water containing diesel fuel, and the diesel will get dissolved,” he said.

As reported, the sea waters around the tourist area of Lovina, Buleleng, had been contaminated by diesel fuel since the past few days.

The contamination occurred after the oil pipeline owned by PLTGU Pemaron leaked as hit by huge waves. The most serious pollution ensued in the area of Hepi Beach at Tukad Mungga Village and beaches in the village of Pemaron belonging to the area of Lovina Beach. The smell of diesel fuel in the coastal areas had been wafted from the entrance to the beach. In the meantime, the slicks of diesel oil were clearly visible floating on the surface of the sea. (kmb15)

4

News

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

International

Election looms after Irish coalition partner pulls out Agence France Presse

DUBLIN – Ireland’s government was in tatters Monday after the junior coalition partners pulled out, as talks were set to start on fast-tracking a key finance bill in a move that would bring forward elections. The Green Party announced Sunday they could no longer continue in coalition with the larger Fianna Fail party, wiping out the government’s slim majority and meaning a general election called for March 11 will likely be held earlier.

It came after Prime Minister Brian Cowen bowed to pressure and resigned as Fianna Fail leader Saturday following a week of political chaos that started with a leadership challenge from his own foreign minister. The Greens’ departure deepens the political crisis sparked by Dublin’s acceptance of a bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund in November following the country’s financial meltdown.

The Irish bailout was the second for a eurozone country after Greece amid the single currency’s mounting debt crisis. Announcing the party’s decision to withdraw from the coalition, Green leader John Gormley told a press conference in Dublin that “our patience has reached an end.”

“Because of these continuing doubts, the lack of communication and the breakdown in trust, we have decided that we can no longer

continue in government,” he said.

Despite the near-collapse of his government and his resignation from the top job in Fianna Fail, Cowen has insisted he will remain prime minister until the election.

After the Greens walked away, the prime minister said the important thing was now to focus on “an orderly completion” of the finance bill. Finance Minister Brian Lenihan was due to meet with opposition parties later Monday to try to agree on a timetable for passing the bill, which is crucial to securing loans worth 67 billion euros (90 billion dollars) from the EU and IMF. The bill will bring into effect measures from the government’s harsh austerity budget, which includes a string of tax hikes and spending cuts aimed at saving billions of euros.

Despite now being in opposition, the Greens vowed to support the controversial bill in its passage through the Dail, or lower house of parliament.

“We will remain true to our promise to support the finance bill from the opposition benches,” said Gormley, but urged Fianna Fail to “make every effort to fast-track this legislation”.

The opposition Labour party has pledged to table a motion of no confidence in the government unless the bill is pushed through this week, allowing parliament to be dissolved Friday and new dates set for a general election.

AFP PHOTO/ Peter Muhly

Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan formally announces his candidacy for the leadership of Fianna Fail party at the Westin Hotel in Dublin, Ireland on January 23, 2011. Mr Lenihan has said that the Opposition is keen to have the shortest possible campaign for the General Election.

AFP PHOTO/Massoud HOSSAINI

Afghani members of parliament gather in a hotel in Kabul on January 22, 2011 to break the deadlock on whether or not to open Afghanistan’s new parliament.

Uncertainty lingers over Afghan parliament Agence France Presse

KABUL – A constitutional stand-off in Afghanistan between President Hamid Karzai and lawmakers that has delayed the opening of parliament was dragging on Monday, threatening a fresh crisis. The two sides are arguing over the legality of a Supreme Court special tribunal, which is charged with ruling on cases of electoral fraud during parliamentary polls four months ago.

Karzai wants MPs (members of parliament) to accept its authority as a condition for his inaugurating the new parliament on Wednesday. But the MPs fear it will throw some of their number out and insist it is unlawful. Lawmakers claimed Saturday that an agreement had been struck between the two sides, which would see Karzai open parliament on Wednesday, following pressure from the United States and United Nations.

But further tensions emerged as lawmakers held talks on the details of the deal Sunday, which seemed to put the agreement in jeopardy.

The situation is being watched anx-

iously by the international community in Afghanistan. International troops fighting the Taliban are due to start limited withdrawals in July ahead of Afghan forces assuming control of security in 2014.

The MPs now say they have made their final offer to Karzai and are awaiting his response. “We are not meeting with the president today, we have sent him our last decision yesterday which is not changeable for us,” Mohammad Sarwar Usmani, who is acting as the temporary speaker of the new parliament, told AFP. “We believe and are sure the president will come and inaugurate

the parliament on Wednesday.”

Usmani added that the lawmakers wanted electoral fraud cases to be handled by the regular Afghan courts, not the special tribunal. MPs have parliamentary immunity in the court system but not in the tribunal.

However, an official source, speaking anonymously as he was not authorised to talk to media, told AFP Sunday that Karzai was unlikely to open parliament Wednesday if the lawmakers did not pledge to respect the tribunal. “What’s being said about the opening of the parliament on Wednesday, that’s conditional,” said the source, who was involved in the recent talks.

Asked whether Karzai will open parliament as arranged if MPs fail to accept the tribunal, the source added: “I don’t think so.”

Karzai’s office has declined to comment on the situation since announcing last Wednesday that the inauguration, originally scheduled for Sunday, was being delayed for a month.

Cholera takes a breather in Haiti, but could surge Associated Press Writer

SAINT-MARC, Haiti – The cholera epidemic that has raged across this country is claiming fewer victims, with a sharp drop in new cases everywhere from the shimmering rice fields of the Artibonite Valley to the crowded urban slums.

It is a welcome development, but tinged with doubt: It’s not yet known whether the epidemic that has killed nearly 4,000 people is fading or merely taking a break,

only to surge again perhaps with the onset of the next rainy season.

“The general situation is improving. It’s clear,” Stefano Zannini, chief of mission for the aid group Doctors Without Borders, said Sunday. “The problem is that the possible development of the epidemic is unpredictable.

It is impossible to say whether the situation will continue stabilizing.”

Any progress on controlling disease would be rare bit of good news for Haiti, which is passing through a particularly gloomy period. The country is on edge amid a political

crisis over a disputed presidential election, and could see more of the violent protests that paralyzed cities and hampered cholera treatment in December. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands are still homeless from last year’s earthquake, and a muchreviled former dictator suddenly returned and took up residence in the past week.

Zannini, whose group is contemplating scaling back its more than 40 cholera treatment centers, was unable to muster even cautious optimism regarding the disease. The

best he could say was that he was happy new cases and deaths are decreasing to levels not seen since soon after the disease emerged in October. “I would not be optimistic,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press at his Port-au-Prince office.

For the moment, at least, the statistics are moving in the right direction. The number of new cases has dropped to about 4,700 per week, down from more than 12,000 per week in November, and the trend is downward in all 10 of Haiti’s depart-

ments, or regions, according to the Health Ministry’s latest bulletin, released Thursday. The only places it appears to be still rising are in a few isolated spots in the northwest and south.

Some 40 patients a day are still coming to the Doctors Without Borders treatment center in Saint Marc, where the disease first exploded, but that’s a third of what it was in December and there hasn’t been a death in six weeks, said field coordinator Oscar Sanchez Rey.

International

Activities

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

5

Celebrate the year of Gold Rabbit at Harris IBP

JAKARTA - Harris Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading will celebrate the year of The Gold Rabbit 2011. It’s a celebration of the Chinese New Year’s Eve Dinner with an array of palatable Chinese food stations specially prepared by the experienced Executive Chef Sayuzi and his team. The menus are Braised Hoisin and Bailing Mushrooms Oyster Sauce, Braised Eel in Superior Brown Sauce, Broccolis and Crab Meat Sauce, Fried Prawn Cakwe and many more.

“On the Eve of Chinese New Year, dinner is a feast with families. We will be grateful to celebrate it with our Guests. We sincerely wish our guests a happy, healthy and successful new year and their families,” said Antoine Villette, the General Manager of HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading. “Our Chinese Dino will come on that night and share the happiness with the children” he added.

Watch the Barongsai performance and Live Chinese Music at the lobby and Harris Café during the dinner. A mouthwatering dim sum’s selection and a Peking Duck Corner will be presented on that very special moment. For those who are craving for chocolate, try the chocolate fountain with various cakes, cookies, ice cream and fruits on dessert station.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event forJanuary 3 through January 26, 2011 04 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Main ritual of twelfth month commanced with temple annyversary celebration of Pura Accompanied by Gambang orchestra at 18.00 pm.

Temple anniversary celebration at Pura Dalem Puri,Pura Ulun Kulkul, Pura Kiduling Kreteg, Pura Benua Kawan,Besakih complex,districk of Rendang,Karangasem regency 05 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Main Ceremony held at Pura Jero when the whole temple adherents go praying to the temple in their finest traditional dress while Gambang orchestra cheeras the atmosphere at 17.00 pm.

06 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Last ritual held at Pura Jero ended with procession of Deities back to Subak Pemaksan (the agricultural temple) at 18.00 pm. Followed by special event held for the elderly people of the village.

12 January Temple anniversary celebration at: * Pura Luhur Pucak Padang Dawa, Bangli village,distict of Baturiti, Tabanan Regency * Pura Silayukti,Padangbai village, district of manggis,Karangasem Regency * Pura Air Jeruk,South Beach of Sukawati Village,Gianyar Regency * Pura Dangin Pasar,Batuan Village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regensy

* Pura Desa Lembeng,Ketewel village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regency * Pura Penataran,Batuyang Village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regency * Pura Budha Kliwon,Penatih Village, east of denpasar 19 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Ratu Pasek Besakih (the mother temple) complex,distric of Rendang, Karangasem Regency * Pura Dalem Batur Village, distric of kintamani,Bangli regency 22 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Dalem Tarukan,Bebalang village, South oe the town of bangli. * Pura Benua Kangin,Besakih (the mother temple complex)Karngasem Regensy * Pura Dalem,Pemuteran,Jelantik tojan Village,Klungkung regensy * Pura Pucak Sari,Gunung Sari Village,district of Penebel,Tabanan Regency.

26 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Bandesa Mas Kepisah,Pedungan village, south of denpasar * Pura Pasar agung,Kaba-kaba village, district of kediri,Tabanan regency * Pura Dalem Petinget, Kerobokan village, district of kuta,Badung regency * Pura Dalem Pulasari,samprangan village, district of blahbatuh,Gianyar regency * Pura Natih,Banjar kalan,Batuan Village, District of Sukawati,Gianyar regency

Balinese Temple Ceremony EVERY Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc.

The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.

The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.

In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbul-umbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

6

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

News Iraq...

From page 1 There is a vehicle ban in Karbala for the holy period so pilgrims are dropped off at parking lots and walk in. The police and hospital officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

Monday’s attacks followed a triple suicide bombing last week along two highways leading to Karbala that killed 56 and wounded at least 180 — most of them Shiite pilgrims. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are gathering in Karbala for Monday’s ceremonies marking the end of Arbaeen, a 40-day mourning period to observe the seventh century death of the Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson.

His death in battle near Karbala

sealed Islam’s historic SunniShiite split — the ancient divide that provided the backdrop for the sectarian bloodshed in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led war. No group claimed responsibility for Monday’s blast, but car bombs and suicide attacks are the trademark of al-Qaida in Iraq and other Sunni religious extremists.

Those groups have frequently targeted Shiites in a bit to re-ignite sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war. Since the end of Saddam’s rule, Shiite politicians have encouraged huge turnouts at religious rituals, which were banned under the former regime, as a demonstration of Shiite power.

Security forces also have been targeted in the latest spate of violence, which began last Tuesday with a suicide bombing targeting police recruits in Tikrit.

Leaks Leaks...

From page 1

AFP PHOTO / HO / PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

This handout picture taken and released by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on January 23, 2011 shows crew members aboard ‘The Pineapple’ catamaran off Dinagat Island, southern Philippines.

Missing boat with 5 Americans lands in Philippines Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines – Five Americans stepped ashore in good health Monday in the central Philippines following an international search for their sailboat when it failed to arrive on time in its voyage from the Pacific island of Guam, officials said.

The vessel, called the Pineapple, ran into bad weather after departing from Guam on Jan. 6 on a journey to the Philippines and relatives of the crew — four men and a woman — reported them missing Jan. 18.

A Philippine coast guard ship reached the 38-foot (11-meter) catamaran on Sunday after it was spotted by plane the previous day.

Rescuers escorted the vessel to the port of Maasin on Leyte Island, where the crew refueled, got their passports stamped and treated themselves to a meal, the coast guard said. With one of its two rudders damaged, the Pineapple will later be escorted to its original destination on Cebu Island.

“They’re all in fine health,” coast guard chief Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said of the crew, including a Filipino-American in the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Embassy in Manila has declined to release

their identities and hometowns.

The U.S. Coast Guard, which said it had spent 63 hours searching for the sailboat, expressed relief that the boat was found but faulted the crew for failing to take proper precautions. The vessel did not carry long-distance communication or emergency distress equipment and did not file a comprehensive float plan, the agency said.

“I’m elated for the family and friends of the Pineapple, but compelled to point out that this voyage was made without taking basic, commonsense precautions,” said Capt. Thomas Sparks, U.S. Coast Guard Guam commander. A Philippine coast guard plane spotted the sailboat Saturday off the southern island of Dinagat, but was not able to confirm its identity until Sunday when the weather cleared, Tamayo said.

A woman aboard the boat was able to contact her husband by cell

phone at 1:30 p.m. Sunday — apparently once she came within range of cell phone service — and he called rescuers in Guam to give them the boat’s coordinates, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.

“The husband confirmed the vessel ran into bad weather and suffered a rudder and radio casualty. This delayed the Pineapple’s voyage but it was never in danger of sinking,” the statement said.

Guam, a U.S. territory, is about 1,400 miles (2,290 kilometers) east of Cebu, where heavy rains and rough seas have been reported in recent weeks.

The U.S. Coast Guard had deployed a HC-130 Hercules aircraft, two Navy P-3 Orion planes, two Air Force C-12s and a patrol ship to search an area of 122,600 square nautical miles (317,530 square kilometers) for more than 63 hours, the agency said.

In a heated exchange, Erekat was confronted by critics including Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the Londonbased al -Quds al-Arabi newspaper, who asked him who had authorized him or the Palestinian leadership “to give up Islamic holy sites.” One document quoted Erekat as telling an Israeli official: “It is no secret that ...we are offering you the biggest Yerushalayim in history.” He used the Hebrew word for Jerusalem.

Ahmed Qurie, the lead Palestinian negotiator in 2008, was quoted as proposing that Israel annex all Jewish settlements in Jerusalem except Har Homa. He also said Israel could keep control of a part of the Old City of Jerusalem. “This is the first time in history that we make such a proposition,” the document quoted Ahmed Qurie as saying.

He added that the Palestinians had refused to make such a concession during negotiations led by the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in 2000.

HAMAS INDIGNANT

Hamas, the Islamist group which governs the Gaza Strip, said the documents revealed the Palestinian Authority’s role in “attempting to liquidate the Palestinian cause.” “This exposes the Palestinian leadership, putting it in a position where it will be impossible to win the confidence of the people,” said Zakaria al-Qaq, Palestinian commentator.

However, another Palestinian commentator said the reaction would be limited. “There won’t be any big reaction, it’s not entirely new,” said Hany al-Masri, adding that the idea of Israel keeping its large urban settlements around Jerusalem as part of a land exchange in a final deal had been floated before.

Israel has always said it would keep the main settlement blocs around Jerusalem, but the Palestinian leadership has adopted a tougher stance in its public declarations, never letting on it was ready to make such ground.

Abbas said as recently as last week the fate of Jerusalem was not up for discussion. “From our per-

spective, there are no negotiations over Jerusalem. Jerusalem is ours,” he said. However, he has also made clear that West Jerusalem was Israeli and could be the capital of the Jewish State.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in a 1967 war, annexing the walled Old City and a belt of surrounding West Bank land shortly after the conflict in a move that has never won international recognition. Both sides want Jerusalem as their capital.

STANDSTILL

The 2008 transcript was one of some 1,600 documents related to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that the Qatar-based channel said it had obtained in recent months from a variety of sources. Britain’s Guardian newspaper had early access to the documents and said it had verified most of them.

The release of the so-called ‘Palestinian Papers’ comes just weeks after Wikileaks starting publishing some 250,000 secret U.S. diplomatic cables.

The Middle East peace talks are at a standstill due to a dispute over Jewish settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, with the Palestinians refusing to return to the negotiating table until Israel halts the building programs.

The Palestinians say settlement growth on land occupied by Israel in 1967 will make the establishment of a viable Palestinian state impossible. They want to found their state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The settlements are deemed by the World Court to be illegal.

The 2008 meeting was part of talks held at the time between the Palestinians and the Israeli government of the then prime minister, Ehud Olmert. They came to an end when Olmert was forced from office over corruption allegations in 2009.

Current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has traditionally taken a much tough stance than his predecessor. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials on the Al Jazeera leaks.

Indonesia Today

International

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

7

President’s Indian trip to enhance investment Antara

JAKARTA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s two-day working trip to India is expected to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries in the field of trade and investment.

AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY

Photo shows Chinese Lunar Year tree decorations at a shopping mall in Jakarta on January 22, 2010.

Many Indonesia’s shopping malls and business establishments are docarated with Chinese Lunar Year ornaments ahead of the festival, locally called ‘imlek’, the most important holidays in Chinese calender which falls on February 3.

Indonesia, IRRI cooperate in developing superior seeds Antara

JAKARTA - The Agriculture Ministry and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) work together in the development of superior rice seeds which is resistant to pest.

Agriculture Minister Suswono said here Saturday that the cooperation in research between the Sukamandi Rice Crop Research Institute and IRRI based in Los Banos in the Philippines is an effort to anticipate the impact of the current climate change.

“The development of the new varieties is aimed at obtaining rice species which are able to survive by using limited water supplies, having high competitiveness against disease and tolerant to dryness and able to grow in rain-fed land,” he said.

In addition, he said after signing cooperation in research between Indonesia and IRRI, and also to obtain a rice species more efficient in absorbing fertilizers and producing rice with a high nutritional value and mineral and vitamin content.

One of the cooperation schemes he said currently being developed in a variety with content of vitamin A, namely Golden Rice. Hopefully in the next two years Golden Rice could be produced, to support food resilience and increase food reserves in Indonesia, he said.

The minister said that actually the Indonesia’s cooperation with IRRI had already been carried out

since 1972 particularly in rice research.

“Our researchers (at IRRI) have produced many superior species and the result had already been adopted by some other countries. IRRI also has a representative office in Bogor,” he said.

He said the agricultural research cooperation covered genetic material in the form of rice plasma, combination of varieties tolerant to disease, dryness, inundation and salinity.

The cooperation also covered agronomical technology to support the P2BN program in the

form of technological packages of integrated rice plant management.

He said that of the 250 varieties released in Indonesia, 62 came from IRRI and the rest assembled by using IRRI genetic material and developed by superior Indonesian rice.

In the meantime, some 70-80 pct of the rice varieties raised by the farmers in Indonesia came from IRRI. The varieties that had been released have a productivity of 10-15 pct higher than IR64 and tolerant to marginal land conditions and more resistant to plant pests and are of better quality.

“The visit to India is intended to step up bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of trade and investment,” President Yudhoyono said in a press statement at Halim Perdanakusuma airport before leaving for India on Monday.

Yudhoyono said that his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday would be followed with the signing of 16 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in the field of politics, economy, education, and technology.

The head of state explained that achievements and evaluation of strategic cooperation between Indonesia and India, signed in 2005, would be discussed at the meeting with Indian prime minister.

“On Tuesday I will meet with a number of Indian officials, among others the country’s coalition and opposition leader, then in the afternoon I will attend a business forum with around 500 leading business makers from India and Indonesia,” the president said, adding that the 16 MoUs between the government to business, and business to business would be signed then.

President Yudhoyono said that according to Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), an investment value of US$15 billion would cover the cooperation between the two countries business world in the field of infrastructure, manufacture, natural resources and services.

According to the head of state, trade relation between Indonesia and India rose significantly in the past five years, because in 2005 the total trade value was US$4 billion but in 2010 it rose to US$12 billion.

“Indonesia is the second largest business partner with India in Asean countries,” the president said.

Besides visiting India, President Yudhoyono and his entourage will also make a working trip to Davos, Switzerland, to attend world economic forum before returning to Indonesia on January 30, 2011.

UFO-related ‘’crop circle” found in Yogyakarta Antara

SLEMAN - A unique “crop circle”, popularly believed to be the footprint of an unidentified flying object (UFO) was discovered in Rejosari village, Jogotirto, Berbah subdistrict, Sleman district, Yogyakarta province, on Sunday.

Kompas.com quoted a Rejosari villager named Basori as saying that he had heard a strange noise like that of a helicopter on Saturday at 10.30 PM West Indonesia Time landing on a rice field near his house.

Basori, whose house was located on the northern part of the crop circle-marked rice field,

said he heard the flying object’s sound for thirty minutes.

“The sound was heard for thirty minutes but at the moment I didn’t think much of it I thought it was only the sound of a passing helicopter,” said the 41-year-old Basori.

The man’s confession was confirmed by Ayu Rukini, 32. “I also heard the sound. At the time, I and my husband were wathing TV. I thought it was an air force helicopter on a training flight,” said Basori’s wife.

The crop circle at the rice field that certain people in the world frequently associated with UFOs was first observed by Yudi, 20.

Yudi was quoted by

Kompas.com as saying that he first saw the crop circle when passing the rice field on his way to work on Sunday at 05.00 AM local time.

“When passing the rice field, I saw the paddies fall down but they formed a neat, orderly pattern,” he said adding that he had not heard the sound Basori and his wife, Ayu Rukini, had claimed on Saturday night.

Yudi said he sat near Basori’s house from Saturday evening to early Sunday at 03.00 AM but he heard nothing. “During the night, there was no rainfall... But on Sunday morning, there was this pattern (crop circle) in the middle of the rice field,” Yudi said.

This crop circle could clearly be seen from the peak of a hill on the

northern part of the rice field.

Locals called the hill “Mount Suru”, he said.

Tens of people who were eager to see the unprecedented phenomenon climbed the slippery hill, including Syamsul Bahri, 37. Bahri said the crop circle was a sign of Almighty God’s greatness.

“Whether a UFO has indeed landed here, I don’t know precisely. What is clear is that this is a sign of God’s greatness.

Maybe Almighty Allah (God) wants to warn mankind here to take care of His creation, nature,” said the resident of Beloran village, Madurejo, Prambanan, Sleman district.

8

Internationa

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Bali Today Balinese Wedding The pawiwahan (marriage, weddings of a Hindu couple) is a very important part of Balinese social life. The ritual generally takes place in the home of the groom, a further confirmation of the typical patriarchal inclinations of Balinese culture, and is per- formed by a priest. The newlyweds to be dressed in very colorful and refined garments, worn only for the day of the wed- ding, will withdraw in prayer in the family temple. This is followed by the presentation of offerings in the pelinggih and by a series of ritual gestures. A very typical moment in the ceremony occurs when the bride offers the groom several different beverages: a conventional way to reiterate that the woman. as a wife, commits herself to obeying her husband and to lovingly care for him for the rest of their lives.

Many Balinese marriages are still prearranged or negotiated, though young men may also “kidnap” their wives, and mixed-caste marriages are increasingly common. Marriage customs differ from caste to caste and village to village, but all Balinese marriage practices share fundamental similarities. There are basically two ways to get married on Bali, ‘ngerorod’ and ‘mapadik’.

Ngerorod

IBP/Doc

Tourists spending their holiday on Kuta beach.

Bali tourism develop rapidly Antara

Denpasar – Bali tourism during 2007 through 2010 period was on the lowest point after it was shocked by bomb tragedies which happened twice in the island. The first bomb blast was happening on October 12, 2002 and the second one was on October 1, 2005. However, the tourism industry is developing rapidly post those periods.

The head of Bali Statistics Department, I Gede Suarsa, said “the number of tourists visited Bali increasing greatly in the past few years.” He explained that the number of foreign tourists visited Bali in 2007 was 1.6 million people. The number increased and became 2.08 tourists in 2008 and 2.38 tourists in 2009.

Last year, the number of foreign tourists visited Bali was 2.49 million people. The country where the tourists came from is slightly different compare to the previous year.

In 2008, the most tourists were coming from Japan but in the re-

cent years, the highest number of tourists was coming from Australia.

Economics crisis which happened severely in Japan probably was the main cause of the decreasing number of tourists. On the other hand, the tourists from Australia are fond of Bali because the unique culture and beautiful scenery of the island and the cost is very cheap. Gede Suarsa said that the condition could give the opportunity for businessmen in Bali to find other countries to market tourism package.

China is one of the countries aimed by Bali government and pri-

vate businessmen. A new market will guarantee the long lasting tourism industry in Bali and it will avoid any dependency on certain countries to supply tourist to Bali. Even tough the tourists from Australia is very high but the government must be aware that Australia is very sensitive on certain issue and they often issued travel advisory or even travel warning if there is incident occur in the designate country.

Currently, Bali is still the best tourist destination in the world which has unique culture and beautiful scenery, Suarsa said.

This is marriage by elopement, in which the prearranged honeymoon precedes the wedding ceremony. Since it’s otherwise quite expensive to marry on Bali, ‘ngerorod’ is becoming more and more popular. It has particular appeal to the Balinese sense of theater. Balinese love a spectacular kidnapping in which friends of the suitor capture a woman in the fields, on the road, or down by the river.

Theatrics are paramount: she is expected to bite and kick her abductors in mock self-defense.

These days it’s more stylish and fashionable for the woman to be whisked away in a hired sedan, and more often than not she goes willingly. The couple then repairs to a friend’s house stocked with provisions, offerings, and the bride’s wardrobe. The woman’s infuriated father sounds the alarm demanding to know what has become of his daughter. A search party is organized which eventually returns unsuccessful and exhausted.

Meanwhile, the couple is consummating the marriage before special offerings (sesayut tabuh rah) have the time to wilt. These offerings alone make the marriage binding by customary law. Emissaries of the groom visit the bride’s father to argue the advantages of the union. Begrudgingly, the girl’s father gives in, after a suitable bride price has been agreed upon. The groom’s father must finance and conduct the marriage ceremony,

welcoming the bride as a new daughter into the family. The actual public wedding, within 42 days of the staged kidnapping, is only an official confirmation of their union. They are already married in the eyes of the gods.

Mepadik

This is marriage by consent, in which an upper-class couple conducts a formal courtship. Since daughters were once regarded as property useful for attaining a family’s social and political goals, high-caste families tried to wed a son to the daughter of a friend or relative so a blood bond would unite the resources of both families.

Under no circumstances may a woman “marry down,” i.e., take a commoner. The preferred marriage is through a parallel patri-cousin, the father’s brother’s daughter. It has been noted that Triwangsa couples often get along so well because they are all first cousins.

Traditionally, the man or his father journeys three times to the bride’s house with food and ‘sirih’. When the bride’s family visits, the groom’s father is obliged to give them food, ‘sirih’ is chewed (an ancient, ritualistic means of coming to agreement), and presents are exchanged. The groom then regularly visits the home of his prospective bride, presenting gifts and performing services for his future father-in-law.

The groom’s family arranges and pays for the wedding; the date set well in advance on a propitious day.

Wedding guests are often entertained by professional storytellers and musicians. Enormously detailed rules govern dining and seating arrangements. Sometimes the bride’s family is not even invited.

The actual ceremony varies. It could be very simple and short, presided over by a common temple ‘pemangku’, or it may be elaborate, expensive, and go on all day. Both the bride and groom dress in bright ‘songket’, with brocades of gold thread, and the woman’s hair is decorated with glittering gold flowers.

Usually the bride and groom offer food to one another, then simulate such domestic duties such as washing, cooking rice, and cutting bamboo. Prayers are intoned, and then the couple eats together in public, feeding each other. This is an important symbolic act, as in former times only married men and women were allowed to eat food together in public. The priest then performs a ritual purification and blesses the couple. Neither rice nor flowers are thrown. Today there could very well be a Western-style buffet reception held afterward where speeches are offered by members of the two families. (BTN/Doc)

al

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Balinese Culture Pepes Oong Don Tengulun: A Delicacy of Steamed Mushroom Relishing in the delicacy of mushrooms can become an engrossing experience, moreover for persons with a particular interest in natural food. Of course, it will enrich their experience. Bahasa Indonesia has a simile ‘like mushroom in rainy season’ to denote the meaning of growing rapidly. In truth, it really does in the rural areas. Mushrooms can grow on the ground, straws and decayed wood. And, the Balinese will have various spice combinations to conjure up the mushroom into a good food.

Aside from the relying the distinctiveness of spice treasures in use, the Balinese cuisine also has a number of leaves used as additive to enhance the flavor of the food. One of them is the leaf of tengulun.

At a glance, this leaf resembles to neem leaf. In the past, Balinese traditional cook in the pebat or kitchen division occasionally took advantage of its benefits. In http://www.fkcater.co

Bali lobster export decline 50% Antara

DENPASAR – Bali frozen lobster export during January through November 2010 period was 63 tons worth $ 475,435. The head of Bali Marine and Fishery Department, I Gusti Putu Nuriartha, said “the revenue from the export decrease 50% compared to the same period in 2009.”

He said that the export of fro-

zen lobster in 2009 was 114 tons worth $968,440 and it was sent to Japan, US, Europe, and Australia.

He also explained that the total revenue gained from marine and fishery product export was $107 million in 2010. The number increased 13% compared to the previous year which was $94 million.

Marine and fishery products were 22% from the total Bali export last year which was $469 mil-

the presence of tengulun leaf blended with Balinese spices, the mushroom will exude delicious flavor and strongly kindle the appetite.

To make this delicacy, it is required some ingredients like 200 gram of white oyster mushroom (or other variants) and 3 stalks of tengulun leaf (sliced). Then, the spices to support the flavor are 5

lion. In addition to lobster, Bali was also exporting crabs, tuna, and other fish. The department has done many efforts in order to increase the production of marine product in order to fulfill the demand for international market as well as the local one.

Nuriartha hope that the number of revenue gained from fishery and marine export can increase in the future.

cloves of shallot, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 small chilies, 1 large chili, 1 tsp salt, 1 candlenut, 1 slice of turmeric, galangal and ginger.

Cleanse finely the mushroom and shred it evenly.

Then, all spices are ground thoroughly and mix together with mushroom and sliced tengulun leaf well.

Prepare banana leaf to wrap the mushroom batter.

Each elongated wrap can be made of some two tablespoons of batter and each end affixed with tooth pick or bamboo pin. When the entire batter has been wrapped, steam them for some 30 minutes. Take out and it is now ready to serve warmly. (BTN/punia)

C.045 ibp

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10

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Destinations

International

Kintamani IBP

http://2.bp.blogspot.com

For those who love to go hiking or go to the mountainous area, Bali is famous for its beautiful mountainous scenery. Kintamani for example. Kintamani is the most favorite tourist destinations in Bali with the active volcano of mount Batur and beautiful lake.

Kintamani is surrounded by the captivating nature and there are six ancient villages around cauldron of Batur Lake which is often conceived by Bali Age Village. The local people from these Bali Age villages own the unique cultures, houses and life style.

Kintamani Area is consisted of some Villages those are Kedisan Village , Buahan, Abang, Trunyan, Songan, South Batur, Middle Batur, North Batur, Sukawana and Kintamani Village . The total of resident in these area are about 15 thousand who are mostly working as farmer, merchant, or work at industrial tourism.

Mount Batur is located at Kintamani and it has erupted about 24 times since year 1800 and still active up to now. Since the mount erupting, it has impacted to the local society life around this mount, like removing altar (Temple), improve or repairing the village and re-arrange the tradition. Lake Batur is the biggest lake in Bali and functioning as irrigation source to all farmers around it and it is also

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for all Bali society generally. Kintamani area has been founded some lodging, hotels and restaurants which are located in Kintamani and Penelokan Village. It is a famous tourist place because Kintamani area owns the beautiful panorama and it is encircled by the cold atmosphere.

Kintamani is beautifully seen at the day time around 10:00 am until 15:00 pm especially having fine weather where entire Kintamani area will be able to be seen clearly.

Generally, all tourists who pay a visit to this place will arrive in the day time where they can enjoy the panorama or enjoy the lunch in the local restaurant with lake view. Mostly restaurants at Kintamani generally own very beautiful view where tourist merging into their lunch in this restaurant and meanwhile enjoy the panorama.

Kintamani is located in Kintamani sub district, Bangli Regency and about 50 km from Denpasar Town or about 2 hours by car. All roads are generally in good condition to access to this place. The fog will descend and blanket entire area of Kintamani with cold temperature in particular at late afternoon until the whole of night. The most amazing panorama at Kintamani can be seen in the morning time, when the sunrise emerges on the surface of earth precisely on the mount Batur.

Jl. Kepundung 67 A, e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id Jl. Palmerah Barat 21 F

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

11

BUSINESS Elites to tackle ‘fundamentally changed’ world at Davos Agence France-Presse

DAVOS – The eurozone’s debt battle and the power shift towards emerging giants like China and India will be at the heart of discussions on a “fundamentally changed world” at this week’s Davos meeting of global elites.

“The world has fundamentally changed,” said Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum which organises the annual meeting at the Alpine resort.

“One of the most important factors of the new reality is the shift of geopolitical and geoeconomic power from north to south, from west to east.

“This has not only political and economic consequences. I think the world will go through some shock waves of adaptation,” he added.

The south and east are taking up a bigger seat in this new world, as illustrated by the participation of emerging giants like India and China at the meeting.

Compared to a decade ago, Chinese representation is up five-fold while that from India is up four-fold, said Robert Greenhill, who is the WEF’s chief business officer.

“It’s a reflection of the accelerated leadership of China and India in the global and economic and intellectual discussions globally,” he explained.

Several Indian ministers including home affairs, finance and com-

merce and industry will be at Davos while China’s Commerce Minister Chen Deming is expected to give a rundown on the country’s decade as a member of the World Trade Organisation.

With US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner also on the guest list, Washington’s concerns over its trade balance with China and the value of the renminbi against the US dollar is expected to be a subject of discussion.

But beyond issues surrounding the emerging giants, the 2,500 participants at the forum are also expected to focus on the ongoing eurozone debt crisis.

“The big question right now is what Europe is going to do about debt restructuring,” Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at analyst group IHS, told AFP. Participants will be looking to Greece’s Prime Minister George Papandreou and Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou for a progress on Athens’ fight to contain its debt since a near meltdown a year ago.

Other European leaders such as

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britain’s David Cameron will also be at hand to discuss issues in the region.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to outline the G20 agenda under France’s presidency.

Russia is also out in force.

Flanked by deputy prime ministers Aleksei Kudrin and Igor Shuvalov as well as foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is to open the meeting.

With Israeli President Shimon Peres, a regular guest, in attendance, conflicts in the Middle East will not be neglected.

Latin American and African leaders due at the meeting include Mexican President Felipe Calderon, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.

For a bit of stardust to break the serious business, the WEF is turning to Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro, U2 frontman Bono and Spanish opera singer Jose Carreras.

“In terms of quality and diversity, the list of participants has never been as good as this year,” said Schwab.

Toyota sold 8.4M vehicles in 2010 to hold top spot Associated Press Writer

TOKYO – Toyota sold 8.42 million vehicles globally in 2010, remaining the world’s top automaker for the third year straight despite recall woes in the key North American market.

General Motors also released a new tally Monday for its global 2010 sales, at 8.39 million vehicles, slightly fewer than Toyota’s number, but a dramatic 12 percent rebound from 7.48 million vehicles the year before.

The race between the two giants appears to be getting close, with the chance the tables could be turned, seeing GM once again rising to the top.

“General Motors is going strong, and it’s a sure sign of its re-emergence,” said Yasuaki Iwamoto, auto analyst with Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Toyota wasn’t showing much growth in North America

— and growing slower in China than GM — partly because it lacks the U.S. automaker’s extensive model lineup such as large-size sedans, he said.

Toyota’s global sales, including truckmaker Hino Motors Ltd. and Daihatsu Motor Co., which makes small cars, rose 8 percent from 2009, driven by solid sales growth in China and other Asian nations, the Japanese manufacturer said.

Toyota Motor Corp. dethroned General Motors as the world’s No. 1 automaker in worldwide vehicle sales in 2008 — a position GM held for nearly eight decades. Since then, General Motors, now called General Motors Co., was bailed out by the U.S. government and underwent restructuring after a brief period in bankruptcy protection.

George Hansen, a GM spokesman in Tokyo, played down the importance of Toyota’s bigger sales

numbers.

“We don’t focus on who is No. 1,” he said of the so-called “new GM.” Still, General Motors achieved double-digit jumps in five of its top 10 markets, including a 28.8 percent increase in China, where it sold 2.35 million vehicles, more than it sold in the U.S. Toyota, in contrast, sold just 846,000 vehicles in China.

GM also marked a 12.4 percent sales rise in Russia and a 10.4 percent rise in Brazil. GM’s sales in the U.S. grew 6.3 percent to 2.21 million vehicles.

Toyota said it was not concerned with beating GM. “Our objective is to become No. 1 with the customers,” said Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco.

He said company was doing its utmost to beef up quality. “We want to be their favorite car manufacturer.”

AFP PHOTO/LIU Jin

A supermarket employee arranges goods in Beijing on January 23, 2011. Asian stocks were sluggish Monday as markets continued to be weighed down by expectations China will move fast to control its galloping economy.

Asia shares muted on China tightening expectations Associated Press Writer

BANGKOK – Asian stocks were sluggish Monday as markets continued to be weighed down by expectations China will move fast to control its galloping economy.

Japan’s benchmark index, however, snapped a two-day losing streak as investors hunted for bargains.

Oil prices hovered above $89 a barrel with gains tempered by mixed regional stock markets. In currencies, the dollar was higher against the yen and the euro.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.4 percent to 10,318.67 as investors looked ahead to a week of corporate earnings. Honda Motor Co. led the country’s top three automakers higher after a ratings upgrade from Nomura Securities Co. Its shares jumped 3.7 percent, while rival Toyota Motor Co. added 1.3 percent.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7 percent to 4,787.80. South Korea’s Kospi was up 0.3 percent to 2,076.79. Benchmarks in India and Singapore also rose.

But elsewhere, markets were lagging. Hong Kong’s Hang Sang dropped 0.3 percent to 23,795.79.

Banking shares were among the decliners, including Bank of China, which dropped 1.7 percent, and HSBC, down 0.7 percent.

The Shanghai Composite index was down 0.5 percent to 2,701.84, and the Shenzhen Composite Index for China’s smaller, second market was shed 1.7 percent to 1,157.77. Markets in Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand also fell.

Investors remained wary following the release of economic indicators last week showing that China’s communist leadership had yet to get economic growth under control, leading analysts to predict that Beijing would take more aggressive steps to tamp down inflation and slow the economy.

“There is fear that China might tighten monetary supply because last week the economic data showed that China’s economy is still overheating ... runaway property prices, runaway inflation,” said Francis Lun, general manager of Fulbright Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong.

Figures last week showed growth picked up in the fourth quarter, to 9.8 percent from 9.6 percent in the previous quarter.

The government also reported the inflation rate at 4.6 percent in December. But Lun said he believes inflation is much higher than that.

“Never trust China’s official economic data. No one believes them. You must be living on the moon if you think its 4.6 percent,” he said. “Inflation in mainland China is more like 10 percent.”

That, at least, is the perspective from Hong Kong, where busloads of mainland Chinese shoppers come daily for routine items like shampoo and milk power, Lun said.

“China is not a cheap place to manufacture anymore,” he said.

But one factor preventing companies from moving to India, Lun said, are its labor regulations — regarded as much more onerous than those in China.

12

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Entertainment

International

Hollywood’s newest Olsen makes Sundance debut Associated Press Writer

PARK CITY, Utah – The younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen is breaking into showbiz with two buzzed-about films at the Sundance Film Festival. Elizabeth Olsen, 21, stars in “Silent House,” directed by the filmmakers who made the 2004 indy hit “Open Water.”

When it debuted at Sundance, it was sold to Lionsgate for more than $2 million.

Based on a film from Uruguay called “La Casa Muda,” “Silent House” is one continuous take as Olsen’s character begins to suspect her summer house may be haunted.

Olsen compares shooting the film to theater, which she started doing as a child. “When I was auditioning, I was like, ‘Just so you know I’m used to the medium of theater, so like I can stand on my feet for this long,’” she laughs.

Olsen’s other film at Sundance is “Martha Macy May Marlene,” where she plays a young women trying to readjust to life after escaping from a

cult.

“It’s hard for independent films when they want to get money,” said Olsen. “And to have a lead be an unknown — it’s kind of a risk for people to take. And so the fact that they took that risk was like made my year, my life, I don’t know! It was really exciting.”

The actress may be enthusiastic about her career but turns serious

when it comes to the idea of being a tabloid target like her big sisters, now 24, who are chased constantly by paparazzi. The Olsen twins have been in the spotlight since they were hired as infants to share a role in the TV comedy “Full House.”

“When I would go shopping with my sisters when I was younger, it would be dangerous. People would almost get us into car accidents. I just think it’s crazy in general but I want to be an actor — and I have since I was a little girl — and if that happens, then you figure out how to deal with it where it doesn’t completely infringe upon your life,” said Olsen. “I haven’t experienced that personally yet. Hopefully I don’t have to but I think it’s a really weird part of this business.”

Elizabeth Olsen from the film “Martha Marcy May Marlene and Silent House” poses for a portrait in the Fender Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah.

In this film publicity image released by Paramount, Ashton Kutcher, right, and Natalie Portman are shown in a scene from ‘No Strings Attached.

AP Photo/Paramount, Dale Robinette

‘No Strings’ attaches to top box-office spot Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Audiences weren’t afraid of committing to “No Strings Attached,” making it the No. 1 movie at the box office in its opening weekend. The romantic comedy from Paramount Pictures earned an estimated $20.3 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman star as friends who try to maintain a purely sexual relationship with each other, even as they find they’re falling in love. The strong supporting cast includes Greta Gerwig, Mindy Kaling, Lake Bell and Kevin Kline.

Last week’s No. 1 movie, Columbia Pictures’ action comedy “The Green Hornet,” dropped to second place with $18.1 million. It has now made $63.4 million total. Seth Rogen stars as the title playboy-turned-superhero, based on the 1930s radio show, with Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou as his sidekick, Kato.

Much of the success of “No Strings Attached” could be attributed to the pairing of director Ivan Reitman and Montecito Pictures, which brought the movie in at a bud-

get of just $25 million, said Don Harris, Paramount’s executive vice president of distribution. He thought audiences were drawn to the chemistry between the co-stars: “Natalie Portman couldn’t be any hotter, and I think this is the kind of movie Ashton Kutcher had hoped to make and be in during his career. They go well together.”

Portman just won a Golden Globe award for her portrayal of a ballerina gone mad in “Black Swan,” the weekend’s sixth-highest grossing film, and for which she’s likely to receive an Academy Award nomination Tuesday. She recently announced she’s expecting a baby with her fiance, Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed “Black Swan” and has a cameo in it.

Part of the allure of “No Strings Attached” also comes from the humor, which Harris said was a little edgier than expected in a romantic comedy. “This was always intended to be an R,” he said. “That’s why I think these two were interested in being in the movie.” “No Strings Attached” was marketed as the perfect date movie, with its slogan: “Can sex friends stay best friends?”, said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

AP Photo/Victoria Will

Araki describes filmmaking ‘struggle’ Agence France Presse

PARK CITY, Utah – US filmmaker Gregg Araki, most of whose movies have made their debuts at the Sundance independent film festivals, told AFP that financing a movie remains “a struggle,” despite a revolution in technology. Araki, who was discovered at this festival in the 1990s, brought to this Utah city his tenth film named “Kaboom” and shared his thoughts about the independent filmmaking industry.

“People think it’s easier when you are someone established and you’ve made a few movies,” said the film director, whose credits include “Mysterious Skin” and “Smiley Face.”

“But really, it doesn’t get any easier,” he continued. “I would say that it’s kind of getting harder.

There are more and more filmmakers, more and more projects out there, less and less sources of financing.” Araki believes he was “fortunate” to have been able to make “Kaboom” with the help of two French production and distribution companies, Wild Bunch and Why Not. “It was a Cinderella dream,” he pointed out, noting that his movie had been made with a small budget. But making an independent film “has always been a struggle,” Araki said. “It’s perhaps a different kind of struggle today.” The director recalled that when he started his filmmaking career, it was hard to make a movie.

“To shoot in 16mm, to edit the damn thing, to mix it — every step of the way was so insanely hard,” he explained. “Technically, it was so archaic. Today, with all the cameras, with Final Cut, all the computers, there is so much you can do. Araki, 51, considers himself a veteran of independent filmmaking. His latest movie was already presented at the film festival in Cannes, France, last October, with critics note the energy and inventiveness of its director.

“I put a lot of energy in this movie,” he recalled. “People don’t do movies like that today. The young filmmakers, for example, a lot of them make good movies, but they don’t have that sort of joy of cinema. There’s a lack of

trying to do something different, be outside the box.”

“Kaboom” tells a story of a bisexual student from California who witnesses a terrible crime. It explores adolescent desires, unbridled sexuality and youthful boredom — all framed within a horror flick. “It came very naturally, it was kind of liberating to make a movie like this,” said Araki. “Because of the small budget, the scale of it, I didn’t have the burden of thinking that this movie had to be very mainstream.”

He noted that “creatively and artistically it was very innocent in a way, just very like having a free spirit. “I didn’t censor myself in any way, I just wanted the story to be as free, wild and crazy and unique as possible,” the director said.

Araki confessed that every movie he made was a snapshot of who he is and what he thinks.

“And I don’t think that I could have made this movie 10 years ago,” he pointed out. “Technically, I’m a much stronger filmmaker than I was when I did my first movie.”

AFP/Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy

US filmmaker Gregg Araki poses at the “Kaboom” Cocktail Reception At The Levis AE Showroom on January 21, in Park City, Utah.

Science

International

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

13

520-day flight simulation nears ‘landing’ on Mars Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW – After 233 days in a locked steel capsule, six researchers on a 520-day mock flight to Mars are all feeling strong and ready to “land” on the Red Planet, the mission director said Friday.

The all-male crew of three Russians, a Chinese, a Frenchman and an Italian-Colombian has been inside windowless capsules at a Moscow research center since June. Their mission aims to help real space crews in the future cope with the confinement and stress of interplanetary travel.

The researchers communicate with the outside world via emails and video messages — occasionally delayed to give them the feel of being farther than a few yards (meters) away from mission control. The crew members eat canned food similar to that eaten on the International Space

AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, file

FILE- In this Thursday, June 3, 2010, file photo an international party of six researchers are dressed in blue, before entering a steel capsule to simulate a space flight to Mars, inside the facility at Moscow’s Institute for Medical and Biological Problems in Moscow, Russia.

520-day flight simulation nears ‘landing’ on Mars Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW – After 233 days in a locked steel capsule, six researchers on a 520-day mock flight to Mars are all feeling strong and ready to “land” on the Red Planet, the mission director said Friday.

The all-male crew of three Russians, a Chinese, a Frenchman and an Italian-Colombian has been inside windowless capsules at a Moscow research center since June.

Their mission aims to help real space crews in the future cope with the confinement and stress of interplanetary travel.

The researchers communicate with the outside world via emails and video messages — occasionally delayed to give them the feel of being farther than a few yards (meters) away from mission control. The crew members eat canned food similar to that eaten on the International Space Station and shower only once a week. None of the men has considered abandoning the mission, although they are free to walk out at any time, mission director and former cosmonaut Boris Morukov told reporters on Friday.

“They are still motivated, but there is a certain fatigue, which is natural,” he said. The six men are due to “land” on Mars on Feb. 12 and spend two days researching the planet. They then begin the monthslong return flight to Earth,

expected to be the most challenging part of the mission.

“It will be very tough on the boys because of the monotony,” Morukov said. “The fatigue and the thought that the mission is over can be fraught with negative consequences.” The Mars-500 experiment is being conducted by the Moscow-based Institute for Medical and Biological Problems, the European Space Agency and China’s space training center.

In an effort to reproduce the conditions of space travel, with exception of weightlessness, the crew has living

Station and shower only once a week.

None of the men has considered abandoning the mission, although they are free to walk out at any time, mission director and former cosmonaut Boris Morukov told reporters on Friday.

“They are still motivated, but there is a certain fatigue, which is natural,” he said. The six men are due to “land” on Mars on Feb. 12 and spend two days researching the planet. They then begin the monthslong return flight to Earth, expected to be the most challenging part of the mission.

“It will be very tough on the boys because of the monotony,” Morukov said.

quarters the size of a bus connected with several other modules for experiments and exercise. A separate builtin imitator of the Red Planet’s surface is attached for the mock landing.

A real mission to Mars is decades away because of its huge costs and major technological challenges, particularly the task of creating a compact shield that would protect the crew from deadly space radiation.

Mission control will create mock emergencies for the crew to keep them busy on their way back to Earth, Morukov said Friday.

A woman looks at a Comodo Console during a launch event in Tel Aviv January 23, 2011.

REUTERS/Nir Elias

Cellcom and Iway launch Internet system for cars Reuters

AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, file

FILE- In this Thursday, June 3, 2010, file photo an international party of six researchers are dressed in blue, before entering a steel capsule to simulate a space flight to Mars, inside the facility at Moscow’s Institute for Medical and Biological Problems in Moscow, Russia.

“The fatigue and the thought that the mission is over can be fraught with negative consequences.” The Mars500 experiment is being conducted by the Moscow-based Institute for Medical and Biological Problems, the European Space Agency and China’s space training center.

In an effort to reproduce the conditions of space travel, with exception of weightlessness, the crew has living quarters the size of a bus connected with several other modules for experiments and exercise. A separate built-in imitator of the Red Planet’s surface is attached for the mock landing.

A real mission to Mars is decades away because of its huge costs and major technological challenges, particularly the task of creating a compact shield that would protect the crew from deadly space radiation. Mission control will create mock emergencies for the crew to keep them busy on their way back to Earth, Morukov said Friday.

TEL AVIV – Start-up Iway Mobile and Cellcom, Israel’s largest mobile phone operator, launched on Sunday a communications, Internet and entertainment system for the automobile.

While the Comodo Console will be sold first in February in Israel, where it will be marketed exclusively by Cellcom, Iway is in talks to sell the product to cellular operators in other countries over the next six months.

Iway founder and Chief Executive Danny Knafou said the first countries would likely be France, Russia and China. “We are in talks with SFR, China Mobile and MTS,” Knafou told Reuters on the sidelines of a news conference.

The operating system is programed for 20 languages, including Russian, Arabic and Chinese, and more will be added. Comodo includes a 4.3 inch touchscreen, speakerphone, a rear camera to increase security when in reverse,

a GPS antenna and a cellular modem for an always-on connection to the Internet via a 3G cellular network. The driver can listen to radio stations from around the globe.

“There is one world that hasn’t yet been captured by the Internet revolution, and that is the automobile,” said Adi Cohen, head of marketing at Cellcom.

While mobile handset makers are focused on developing phones that are faster, smaller and better designed, Iway said it concentrated on giving the driver a different experience.

To ensure drivers’ safety, videos can be watched only when the car is not moving, and emails can be received but not sent. Text messaging and chatting services are not available, and the 80 applications can be activated with two clicks. Knafou said he did not know of any other similar product.

14

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Sport

International

Risky decisions pay off, says Madrid man Mourinho Agence France Presse

AP Photo/Luca Bruno

AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, of Sweden, left, celebrates with his teammate AC Milan forward Antonio Cassano, after scoring during a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Cesena at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday , Jan.23, 2011.

Inter lose perfect Leonardo record, Milan stay top

MADRID – Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho admitted his team selection gamble in the crucial clash against Real Mallorca was a high-risk strategy. Real edged a 1-0 win to stay four points behind Barcelona with French striker Karim Benzema grabbing the only goal to end a week when his lacklustre performances had caused friction between Mourinho and general manager Jorge Valdano.

But it was a poor first half on Sunday and an unhappy Mourinho responded with a double substitution with Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil coming on for Fernando Gago and Kaka.

“My decisions were risky, but I allowed the midfielders who will play in Sevilla (in the midweek Spanish Cup semi-final against the holders) to rest tonight,” said Mourinho. “(Sami) Khedira is injured, but he will play on Wednesday. I wanted to avoid being in a difficult situation by half-time against Mallorca. The 0-0 score was good because we knew we were

going to make changes to the lineup in the second half.

“The double substitution helped the team make an immediate improvement.” Mourinho also praised the Real fans for their patience and for not turning against the team.

“If the fans support the team it means they support the coach, because I am the team,” Mourinho told the club’s official website. “I need the fans to be with the team, and they are. I cannot expect them to be incredibly happy tonight, but it is very complicated to play nine games in January at a very high level.

The team still has its limitations, but it continues to win, which is what really matters.”

Goalkeeper Iker Casillas meanwhile leapt to the support of 35-million-euro Benzema who grabbed the goal, but then missed a handful of chances to add to the scoreline.

“He will make all the front pages and news reports. He has an introverted character but he has opened up and has the whole support of the dressing room,” said the captain Iker Casillas. “He is young and has a lot of talent.”

Agence France Presse

ROME – Udinese ended Leonardo’s perfect record since taking over as Inter Milan coach with a 3-1 win over the Italian champions while city rivals Milan retained their four-point lead at the top. Inter, aiming for a sixth straight win since the Brazilian’s arrival in the San Siro dugout, took the lead after quarter of an hour through Dejan Stankovic.

Udinese then stunned Inter with goals from Cristian Zapata and Antonio Di Natale - his 15th of the season - to go into the break 2-1 up, with Maurizio Domizzi adding a third midway through the second half.

Inter remain in fifth place on 35 points but are nine adrift of leaders AC Milan who edged Cesena 2-0 in Sunday’s late game. But it wasn’t a convincing Milan performance as they needed an own-goal from Maximiliano Pellegrino for a 45th-minute opener.

Pellegrino, who had also netted against his own team last weekend in the clash with Roma, was put under pressure from Antonio Cassano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and was unable to prevent the ball crossing the line. Ibrahimovic added the second goal in the third minute of

injury time for his 13th league strike of the season.

Milan’s win was overshadowed by a serious shoulder injury suffered by veteran defender Alessandro Nesta who was hurt in a collision with Igor Budin and was substituted in the 20th minute. He could be ruled out for up to three weeks after it was originally thought he’d miss three months. “It was a deserved win,” said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri. “We had lots of chances, so I am satisfied. But we have worries over Gennaro Gattuso who has a thigh injury and Alessandro Nesta also with his shoulder.”

Giving his reaction to his first loss in charge Leonardo told Inter’s official website that the team would get over the loss to Udinese.

“In football you lose games; it’s no big deal. It won’t change the way we see things and it won’t

change the way I see the team.”

“We got off to a great start,” he added.

“Taking the lead at a stadium like this and against a team like Udinese was no mean feat, so I don’t think it was a case of us making mistakes or losing our concentration. “Perhaps we were a bit tense because of how a few things went. The first half was an evenly balanced affair but Udinese had the upper hand in the second half.

“However, I must say that hardly any of the goals we’ve conceded from set pieces have been because we were caught out by the opposition; most have been because of a lucky deflection or rebound. So I don’t think we have a problem with man-marking at set pieces.” For Udinese, it was their first win over Inter in 14 attempts.

Napoli replaced Roma in second place after a 2-0 win at Bari.

AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU

Real Madrid’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho kicks the ball during the Spanish League football match opposing Real Madrid and Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on January 23, 2011.

Sport

International

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

15

Anthony leads Nuggets past Pacers, 121-107 Associated Press Writer

DENVER – Carmelo Anthony gave the home crowd nothing to boo about Sunday night, scoring 36 points in the Denver Nuggets’ 121-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers, who lost their fifth straight.

Anthony had been subjected to jeers by the home crowd as trade talk intensified last week, but on this night, the Denver fans showed him plenty of love, especially when he was raining 3s from all over the court as he put on a spectacular 23-point show in the third quarter.

Anthony’s career-best six 3pointers all came in the third period as the Nuggets turned a close game into a laugher — a reversal of their game in November when the Pacers made their first 20 shots of the third quarter and rolled to a 144-113 win in Indianapolis.

Anthony’s previous high was five 3-pointers back in 2003, his rookie season.

Nene added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who led by 25 and improved to 20-5 at the Pepsi Center, where they haven’t lost consecutive games all season.

Tyler Hansbrough had 27 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana, which trailed 59-51 at halftime.

After a chaotic week in which the New Jersey Nets scuttled talks on a proposed blockbuster trade for Anthony, the weekend was quiet in Denver with no new reports, rumors or revelations in this Melo Drama that began last summer when the All-Star forward refused to sign a $65 million extension through 2014-15. Nuggets coach George Karl acknowledged over the weekend that the drama has weighed on his weary team.

“It’s hard. I would say we all realize there’s a little bit of heaviness to getting our jobs done. It doesn’t mean we can’t get it done,” Karl said. “Actually, the performance has been pretty first class. The little things and the details of preparation and details of practice, I see a little heaviness to it.” Karl has dealt with the drama by keeping a sense of humor and harboring an amusing atmosphere when he can.

“I think most of the time, we’ve had some levity and some fun with it. When we’ve gotten hit in the

head a couple of times, we seem like we’ve communicated through (it) and gotten into a better place,” Karl said. “As I told Chauncey and a few of the guys today, ‘This is going to be an important stretch.

This is an important stretch to solidify to everybody that we’re a playoff team and we’re going to figure this out.”

The Pepsi Center fans let Anthony have it while he was getting interviewed by the team’s TV network following his 35-point performance against Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, hours after the Nets pulled out of their latest round of trade talks.

That drew a rebuke from Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Before and after Los Angeles’ win here Friday night, Bryant called the boo-birds idiots and suggested they were foolish because the fans’ hostile reaction might just push Anthony out of town if he were at all waffling about wanting to play somewhere else.

Tennis great Laver says Aussie ‘embarrassed’ Nadal Agence France Presse

MELBOURNE – Australian tennis great Rod Laver said local teenager Bernard Tomic “embarrassed” world number one Rafael Nadal in their Australian Open clash, according to reports Monday. Nadal took the third-round clash in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, 6-3, but didn’t have things all his own way, and was forced to fight back from a 4-0 deficit in the second set.

Laver, the only player to twice win the Grand Slam — all four major tournaments in the same year — was full of praise for Austraila’s Tomic, aged 18 and ranked 199, and said he exposed weaknesses in Nadal’s game.

“I watched him play Nadal and he showed some good form all the way through,” Laver said in the United States, according to a report in The Age newspaper. “He wasn’t embarrassed playing Nadal and I think Nadal was a little embarrassed with what Tomic had done to him.”

Another Australian tennis great, Roy Emerson, the winner of 12 Grand Slam titles, said Tomic’s tactics had clearly rattled Nadal.

“Nadal seemed to be a little worried, particularly in the second set with the change of pace that young Bernard was doing, and it was upsetting the rhythm of Nadal,” Emerson said. Speaking after the match, Nadal said he didn’t play his best, but admitted the unpredictable Tomic was a tricky opponent.

“He’s a kind of player that is very difficult to play against,” Nadal said. “His style of game is not easy to play.

AP Photo/Chris Schneider

Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony (15) shoots over Indiana Pacers’s Paul George in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Denver, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011. The Nuggets won 121-107.

Lance Armstrong ends international cycling career Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO / GREG WOOD

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns against Bernard Tomic of Australia during their round three men’s singles match on the sixth day of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 22, 2011.

ADELAIDE, Australia – Tour de France icon Lance Armstrong brought an end to his international cycling career when he completed the final stage of the Tour Down Under.

Cancer survivor Armstrong won a record seven Tour de France yellow jerseys during his career, but failed to produce fireworks on what was his final professional race outside the United States.

Armstrong won no stages in the six-stage event, finishing on Sunday outside the race’s top 50 and almost six minutes behind 23-year-old race champion Cameron Meyer of Australia.

The 39-year-old American is still contracted to the RadioShack team, for whom he is scheduled to race in a num-

ber of multi-sport events.

Armstrong’s participation in mountain bike races or triathlons could be determined, however, by the outcome of a federal probe launched following allegations that he doped regularly while racing with US Postal in 1999-2004.

Armstrong said last October that the Tour Down Under, where he launched his second comeback to the sport in 2009 — having retired after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005 — would be his final international race.

“I’m excited to be competing in my last professional ride outside the US at the Tour Down Under,” Armstrong said in a statement on October 24. “It will be my third time to the event and I?m sure I will enjoy it as much as I have the first two times.”

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Sport

Briatore:

Webber wrong to hide injury Mark Webber’s manager Flavio Briatore believes the Australian was wrong to have revealed his late-2010 shoulder injury several months after that event - and should have either announced the problem when it happened or not spoken out at all. Shortly before last year’s Japanese Grand Prix, Webber fractured his right shoulder in a cycling accident. The injury only came to light in a book he published at the start of December.

Fiesta debut delayed after crash FORD has reversed plans to give the new Fiesta RS WRC its competition debut on the Arctic Lapland Rally after Jari-Matti Latvala crashed the car heavily during testing in Sweden last weekend.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates JariMatti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were scheduled to drive a leg each in the two-day snow and ice rally based in Rovaniemi, in Finland, this weekend [January 28-29].

The event was due to be the final part of the squad’s pre-season test programme before next month’s opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Sweden.

But the accident - which occurred on the second day of the test -forced the team to revise its plans. Latvala and Anttila were unhurt in the 150km/h crash but the Fiesta RS WRC required extensive repair work before the test can continue. The same car was to be used in the Arctic Rally, but there is insufficient time to repair the damage and complete the Swedish test programme before travelling to Rovaniemi for the rally.

The car will now remain at the test location to finalise preparations for next month’s Rally Sweden (February 10 - 13). “We will repair the damage to the car

before continuing our testing in Sweden later this week,” explained Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson. “We’re confident we can complete all our scheduled test work this week, but unfortunately we need to sacrifice our appearance at the Arctic Lapland Rally to do that.

“I’m sorry for all the fans there who were looking forward to seeing Mikko and Jari-Matti in action in the Fiesta RS WRC, but completing our work in Sweden is the best option to ensure our preparations are

completed for Rally Sweden,” added Wilson.

Latvala explained the accident happened over a sixth gear crest.

“It was my error,” he admitted. “I tried to use the snow banks to slow the car, but it rolled in the road before vaulting the snow banks and hitting some trees.

“The Fiesta RS WRC stood up to the impact remarkably well and Miikka and I escaped unhurt. The fact that the team can repair it and we can continue to test this week shows just how strong it is.”

IBP/ist

Ford Fiesta WRC

Although Webber fell from first to third in the championship during the races following the incident, he was adamant that the fracture had not been a factor in his performances.

But Briatore, who has continued to oversee the careers of Webber and Fernando Alonso after his exit from the Renault team, thinks Webber should have handled the situation differently. “It would have been better had he not revealed that,” Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Otherwise he should have said that immediately.”

Briatore does not believe the injury cost Webber the title, as he thinks the Australian would still have prevailed had he not crashed out in Korea.

“He didn’t lose the title, however, because of that [injury], but because of the mistake in Korea. Otherwise he would have won,” Briatore said.

The Italian expects both Webber and Alonso to be in the thick of the title fight again this year. Asked if he saw Ferrari as the favourite for 2011, Briatore replied: “It’s early to say. I expect Red Bull to still be strong and McLaren to be competitive once again. I see a four-way battle: [Sebastian] Vettel, Webber, Alonso and [Lewis] Hamilton.”

He thinks Alonso will have a stronger title campaign this year than in 2010, when he had to come from behind after a run of problems in early summer.

“Fernando is motivated, and Ferrari wants to give him a winning car from the start, without the need of chasing the others,” said Briatore. “That’s what he wants and deserves. Alonso has the resources to win the title in 2011.”